Part 1 : Compulsion

A/N: After watching Jeremy being kicked out of Mystic Falls courtesy of Damon acting upon the decision of Elena and Alaric, I knew I had to give the kid some closure. This is his story after he's gone from Mystic Falls.

Jeremy parked his bike and waited in front of the two story house. It was a faint yellow color. He wiped his brow that was dripping sweat; god that amount of heat should be illegal! He sat on the porch and thought of his journey.

He left Mystic Falls and he didn't look back.

A massive blow down with Elena that started with him doing drugs after his parents died and ended with him being rebellious and losing his job at the Grill after their guardians, John and Jenna died, had him packing and on a plane to Denver.

He remembered his father had a younger estranged sister who lived in Denver. He didn't even remember the woman but something in his chose to go to Denver and meet her. However a huge black guy living at his aunt's house (or at least the address he somehow remembered) told him she had moved a few years ago and gave Jeremy the forwarding address. That had him renting a green Kawasaki and a map and driving for twelve hours straight to Phoenix, Arizona.

He was lost in his thoughts when a cab stopped in front of the house, behind him, and a woman in her late thirties stepped out followed by a girl with crunches who winced with every move. He had never met his aunt but the woman's eyes were identical to his dad's.

"Can I help you?"

She asked him.

"are you Renée Gilbert?"

"Dawyer now but yes I am. And you are?"

Jeremy fidgeted for a moment before blurting

"Jeremy Gilbert"

Renee's eyes widened and slowly a huge smile creped on her face and she enveloped him in a huge hug that had him gasping for air.

"Oh my god! Grey's kid"

Renee let him go and turned to the girl.

"Jeremy this is my daughter Bella, bell this is my oldest brother's son, Jeremy. Look at him, isn't he adorable? I haven't seen you since you were a tiny newborn baby"

Renee introduced them and started pinching his cheeks like he was still a baby

"help"

He called to his cousin who smirked and pointed to her crunches shrugging and immediately winced at the pain that coursed through her. He sent her a glare and she rolled her eyes

"Mom let the guy breath. He's still mounting his bike for crying out loud"

Renee dropped her hands and scolded him. Or attempted to.

"You're riding a bike? Do you know how dangerous that is? Can I go for a ride?"

she dropped the scolding and asked hopefully. Before he could say anything Renee mounted the bike, pushed him to get off it and rode it away. he was gob smacked! his cousin face palmed herself snickering.

"Ignore mom, she always sucked at parenting. Wanna come inside?"

She asked and Jeremy nodded. Bella hobbled in front of him, unlocked the door and motioned him inside. he dropped on the soft sofa and he was so tired he fell asleep immediately.

When he woke up the sun had gone down and he could hear voices coming from another room. Someone had covered him with a soft blanket, he noted with a soft smile but the voiced were shouting now so he stretched and went to see what was going on.

In the foyer stood two people. His cousin, Bella who was balancing on one crutch and a red head guy who was trying to calm her down but she wasn't having it.

"Edward this is too much. We've been together for what, a week and look at me!"

"Bella, love"

"I'm not your love! You can't love someone in a week Edward. Can you understand that?"

"I've loved you ..."

"You've snuck into my bedroom and watched me sleep for a month. That's not really helping your case!"

"What do you want me to do?"

"I... I need a break. I need to think"

"Think what?"

"if I want to be with you. All I can think right now is what happened at the ballet studio and Alice's certainty the baseball game would be nice and safe. Guess what, it wasn't!"

"You asked me not to leave"

Edward's face took a superior expression that made Bella's stomach recoil but her broken body stopped her from moving.

"And now I'm taking it back. Every time i close my eyes do you know what i see? Not James but you! You refusing to get the venom out. You willing to let me die"

Tears rolled down on her cheeks. Edward moved to wipe them but she flinched.

"Please leave"

"Bella, love please reconsider"

"Leave"

at that Jeremy had enough. he wasn't sure why but something on her tone made him grab the baseball bat that was on a corner and join the couple

"I believe she asked you to leave"

Bella wiped her tears and turned to face her cousin.

"Jeremy you're awake"

Jeremy ignored her and opened the front door motioning the red head guy to get out. Bella repeated

"Edward leave"

Edward nodded solemnly and left. Bella let out a huge breath she didn't realize she was holding. Jeremy closed the door

"Nice guy"

he snickered, Bella chuckled but stopped short with a pained expression on her face

"Don't make me laugh please"

Placing an arm around her Jeremy helped her hobble on the living room and get settled on a large armchair with her broken leg resting on its matching ottoman.

"What happened to you?"

"Fell down the stairs and through a window. Broke a leg, four ribs, some cracks in my skull, bruises covering pretty much my entire body and lost a ton of blood"

she grimaced. Jeremy looked in amazement and then suspicion colored his voice

"Did he push you?"

Bella looked down and then quirked a corner of her lips

"Not directly"

she mumbled and touched her bandaged right wrist. a distant memory trickled his mind and he grabbed his dufflebag taking a small pill bottle from within.

"When I was little and my sister helped me break my arm, my dad gave me this. He said it heals all wounds as long as you stay in bed the next twenty four hours. it healed my arm"

He explained fingering the small bottle.

"Was that before or after the Easter bunny had a tea party with the Tooth Fairy?"

Bella joked. Jeremy laughed and rolled his brown eyes

"I'm telling the truth!"

he exclaimed and just then Renee came in the house with a large happy smile etched on her face.

"I haven't been on a bike since I was your age Bella. Grey had one"

Jeremy choked on his saliva, Bella was looking at her mother amused as if the latter was an overexcited toddler and she was the amused mother.

"Grayson? my dad, Grayson had a bike? are we talking about the same Grayson?"

Renee laughed heartily and nodded

"Its my happiest memory of him. Before things changed"

"What do you mean, changed?"

"I'll tell you both in a minute. First of all did you take your painkillers bella? Can I get you anything?"

"I got them earlier mom, I'm good now"

"did Edward call again?"

"she dumped him"

Jeremy butted in and Renee smiled brighter, Bella glared at him but he ignored her.

"Good girl!"

Bella rolled her eyes. Renee saw the bottle in hands and took it

"Where did you get that?"

the smile was gone off her lips and a freaked out expression came to life on her face

"it's dad's. he always said it cures everything"

Renee chuckled darkly

"it does, its a little tricky though"

"Wait you believe that?"

Bella asked her mother who nodded and answered in a serious tone

"it fixes everything the ring doesn't prevent"

Bella's eyes widened

"should I take it?"

"yes, you should. it won't hurt you"

Bella unscrewed the lid and gagged at the rusty yet sweet smell of the vampiric blood. she raised an eyebrow at her mother who nodded and Bella drank it all with one gulp

"Cheers"